Sibling Rivalry: Chapter Four – Questions

In the Ponyville Library, a pile of books sat in the middle of the main reading room. A purple claw grabbed three books and began shuffling though them.

Organising a library was hard work, one had to memorize the Pony Decimal System, and ensure that every book was filed under the right number. If one book was out-of-place, it would mean that book would be lost forever… until somepony noticed and moved it to the right section.

With three different books in hand Spike climbed the ladder that was leaning against one of the shelves, so he could put the books exactly where they needed to go.

As he got to the top, he heard a knock at the front door. It was too much of a hassle to get down just to open the door. So he just yelled. “It’s open!”

A pink glow encompassed the door as young Sweetie Belle entered, closing the door behind her.

Spike looked down, “Oh, hey Sweetie Belle?” he said, as he went back to his filing. “Looking for another magic book?”

Part of Sweetie Belle wanted to say ‘yes,’ but that would have been a lie. She came here for a reason, and if she didn’t say what needed to be said, there was a good chance that Apple Bloom would do it for her. She could be very insistent.

“No, actually,” Sweetie explained. “I came to talk to you.”

“Oh… um… just give me a minute, I’ll be right down.” Spike was confused. What could she possibly want to talk to him about?

As Spike was on the ladder, Sweetie began looking at the books sitting on the table.

One stood out to her, a pink hard cover book called, “Romance for Foals.” Certainly a book that was honest, Sweetie was tempted to open it and begin reading. Maybe check it out, but not around Spike. She would wait until Spike was off doing something-anything else, that way should could have Twilight check it out. After she swore the mare to secrecy.

Spike approached the young unicorn. “Okay, time for a break,” he said, “what did you want to talk about?”

Sweetie hesitated, “well… um… I wanted to thank you for all your help last night.”

“Sweetie,” Spike explained. “I told you, it was nothing.”

“Still… um… thanks.”

Spike suddenly felt very awkward. “Yeah, no problem… is that all?”

‘Yes,’ Sweetie wanted to say before quickly running off. But she forced herself to get this out. “No, um… Spike… I… um… I really like you.”

“Well, I like you too Sweetie Belle,” Spike said nonchalantly.

Sweetie could tell he didn’t understand. “No,” she explained, “I mean I really, really like you.”

Spike looked confused, but he really wasn’t, he was just hoping she wasn’t saying what he thinks she was trying to say.

Awkward silence filled up the room. “Um…” Sweetie continued, “and… I was wondering if you wanted to go out… like on a date?”

Spike’s heart stopped for a second. He couldn’t believe the timing of this. How could this happen? Unfortunately he would need to break the young mare’s heart. He quickly recited what he was going to say in his head: ‘No, sorry, I’m actually dating your sister.’

But unfortunately, the silence was causing Sweetie’s eyes to water… just a bit. Which caused Spike to say, “Sure.”

It was at this moment, Spike’s brain started yelling at him: ‘WHAT THE HAY!?’

“Great!” Sweetie Belle was so excited. It was too late for Spike to turn back now. “The carnival open’s tomorrow! We can go to that!”

“Sure,” Spike said as his brain continued to call him an idiot.

“Great!” Despite the worry Spike was feeling, as he looked at Sweetie Belle and saw her smile, it made all those worries go away.

But his brain wasn’t having it! ‘WHAT THE HEY IS WRONG WITH YOU!? Alright, if you’re not going to listen, I’m leaving.’

“See you tomorrow?” Sweetie asked.

“Sure,” Spike said.

“Morning? Nine o’clock?”

“Yep,” Spike said with a smile.

“Great!” Sweetie was quite happy with this turn of events. She galloped away, but as she reached the door she turned around, and said, “See you tomorrow, Spike,” before exiting.

In the other room, a certain purple unicorn was reading… or to be more accurate, she stopped reading, because of the commotion in the other room. Twilight would have interrupted the two, but she knew the moment Sweetie specifically asked to talk to Spike that this was not a business call, and she should not get involved. But that did not mean she couldn’t listen. She didn’t like to eavesdrop but her curiosity was overpowering, and in the end she was glad she did.

“I… um… I really like you.”

Twilight’s eyes went wide.

“Well, I like you too Sweetie Belle.”

Then her eyelids went down in exasperation. Spike may be a bright dragon, but he knew nothing about mares.

The conversation continued.

“I was wondering if you wanted to go out… like on a date.”

Twilight was well aware of Spike’s relationship with Rarity, so when Spike responded with: “Sure.” She brought a hoof to her face.

Twilight continued to listen to the slow-motion train-wreck occurring in the next room, until she heard hoofsteps gallop away, before, “see you tomorrow, Spike,” and a closing door.

Twilight sighed before opening the door before her. In the room her, she saw her young dragon assistant, in the middle of the room, dumbfounded.

“Spike?” she asked, “are you okay?”

He then collapsed in a heap on the floor.

“SPIKE!!!” she ran toward the young dragon. But as she approached, he quickly woke again.

“AHH!! What happened!?” He grabbed onto the nearby table, and lifted himself up.

“Sweetie Belle just came by, asked you out on a date, and you said ‘yes’!!!”

“Oh, is that all?” he replied, still obviously a bit hazy, and leaning against the table. He was breathing heavily, mostly out of panic.

“Spike, you’re dating Rarity!”

“Well, not technically,” he said, almost pleading.

Twilight gave him a skeptical look. As if to say, ‘really!?’

“UGH!” Spike grunted in frustration. “I know I know! I just… I…” Spike was running over the events in his head, trying to figure out what happened. “I guess I can’t say ‘no’ to a pretty face.”

“You’ve said ‘no’ to me before.”

Spike just looked at her with a smirk.

“Oh, ha ha ha ha!” Twilight’s sarcasm was palpable. “This is serious Spike, you can’t date two fillies at the same time!”

“I know!” he said as he lifted himself onto the table, sitting on it, his breathing much calmer. “I’ll just have to find a way to let her down easily, tomorrow.”

“Spike, it may not be that simple.”

“Sure it will,” he explained. “I’ll just be sure to turn off the charm, and she’ll lose interest. That way, if she does ask for another date, it won’t break her heart when I say ‘no’!”

Twilight sighed, hoof to face. “Spike, you might be forgetting an important variable.”

“Varia…???”

“Thing that could change rapidly.”

“Oh!” Spike said, not quite fully understanding. “What?”

“You.”

Unfortunately, Twilight didn’t get a chance to fully explain, as a knock came at the front door.

Twilight sighed once again, as a red glow encompassed the opening door. Standing at the stoop was a very familiar white unicorn.

“Twilight! Darling!” Rarity said as she entered the library. “How is everything?”

Rarity looked at her friend, and paused for a second, thinking about whether she should move past it. “Well, that’s great,” she said, deciding to quickly move on. “Spike,” she said, as she approached the young dragon. “I just came by to solidify our plans for this week.”

Spike paused for a second, a bit confused, before his brain decided to click. “Oh, right, yeah! Our date.”

“You’ve never had my cooking have you?”

Spike thought for a second. “No,” he eventually replied, “and you haven’t had mine either.”

Rarity giggled a bit, “Well, I get to go first.”

Spike could see behind Rarity, Twilight was silently waving her hooves in the air, mouthing ‘TELL HER!!! TELL HER!!! TELL HER!!! TELL HER!!!” She wasn’t going to directly interfere, but telling Spike what to do wasn’t technically interfering. She was just offering some kind advice, while jumping up and down and silently yelling at the dragon. It was a good thing she knew how to land on her hooves silently, otherwise she would be interfering.

“Brilliant,” she replied, before leaning down and kissing him on the cheek. “I’ll see you thursday, Spike.” She turned around, to face a shocked Twilight, before asking, “We’re still on for lunch tomorrow, right?”

“Oh! Yeah!” Twilight replied.

“Great!” she said as she walked out the door. “See you then!”

“Bye Rarity!” Twilight said as a blue glow closed the door behind her.

The purple unicorn quickly turned to look at her number one assistant, who had a huge smile on his face. She didn’t need to say a word.

“I gotta get back to work,” Spike got off the table and went back to his sorting.

Twilight realized she didn’t need to say anything, there was nothing to say that he didn’t already know. So, she went back to the other room to continue her studies. As she closed the door behind her she thought, ‘his first major romantic screw-up… my little Spike is growing up… dang it.’